Conservation in Ethiopia

MARY COLWELL The Church in the forest

Thousands of sacred forests in Ethiopia are protected by the Orthodox Church and the state. The fact that they are so regarded speaks not of paganism, but of a special respect for God’s Creation. This kind of stewardship of the natural world could be a model for other Churches and other countries.

hat you notice immedi- fertile and biodiverse nation is struggling to ately is that when you feed its population and the majority of leave the agricultural Ethiopians live in abject poverty. It is therefore fields and go into the for- not surprising that the only land that survives est“W you experience a sense of prayerfulness intact is that which is properly protected. In and peace; it’s a spiritual place. I’m not sur- northern Ethiopia church forests are the only prised the locals see the forest as an extension areas left that contain native trees and wildlife. of the church.” Claire Ozanne is deputy provost Thankfully there are 35,000 of them of various ‘Religious protection is the main mode of of Roehampton University, London, a spe- sizes, providing refuge and habitat for species safeguarding the forest’: Zhara church cialist in the ecology of forest canopies and a that have otherwise disappeared from the rest forest wall in northern Ethiopia Catholic. She has recently returned from an of the country. international expedition to record the inver- The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church conservation in the form of planting, protect- tebrate life of Ethiopia’s sacred forests, which (EOTW) is the predominant Oriental ing and preserving trees. Care for nature is surround all Ethiopian Orthodox churches. Orthodox church in Ethiopia, and more than an integral part of the life of the Church and The pictures provide a stark image of islands 42 per cent of Ethiopians are members. It followers are expected to respect and exercise of greenery amidst desert and fields. was part of the Coptic Orthodox Church until good stewardship of forests, at least in the Ethiopia has experienced great changes 1959, but was then granted its own Patriarch church compound if not in the whole land- over the last 50 years. The population has by the Coptic Orthodox Pope of Alexandria scape, which is obviously more difficult. The increased fourfold from 22 million in 1960 and Patriarch of All Africa. There are 45 mil- basis for this belief is biblical and drawn from to more than 80 million today (World Bank lion followers making it the largest sector of Genesis: “The Lord God took the man and Statistics). Climate change, decrease in the the Orthodox Church. put him in the garden of Eden to till it and fertility of soils, increasing urbanisation and EOTW has a strong theological conviction keep it.” (Genesis 2:15) agriculture, combined with political turmoil that the natural world is a gift to be protected Stewardship is a word that causes discussion and mismanagement have meant that a once and respected. It has a long history of nature in western environmental circles but in this case it is a good description of how the locals see themselves in relation to the forest around them. Claire Ozanne points out that nature worship is certainly not an aspect of EOTW faith, rather it is based on respect for a gift provided by God, and a religious obligation that has to be carried out daily and not side- lined or considered less important than other Christian duties. This belief is so strongly held that the forests G have developed two forms of protection, one by the Church and one by the State. Religious protection is the main mode of safeguarding G the forest and is achieved through encouraging religious commitment and respect among the followers. As the church is believed to be the G house of God, everything in the compound G is sacred and holy. The local church authorities give permission for some activities such as G collection of fruit and medicinal plants, but forbid others such as collection of wood for fuel or construction.

26 | THE TABLET | 18/25 December 2010 Advent reflections by Blessed John Henry Newman Habits of virtue

The Advent season is a time of watching and waiting. In our final reflection taken from The Nativity, as Cardinal Newman’s writing he considers those qualities that distinguish the Christian depicted on a from other law-abiding people roof boss in Norwich Cathedral. he substance of religion consists in doing only what is necessary, and shall try Photo: © Julia faith, hope, and charity; and the to find out how little will be enough. We Hedgecoe Tqualification for eternal life is to be in shall look out, not for Christ, but for the a state of grace and free from mortal sin; prizes of this life. We shall form our not Catholics. In that case certainly we yet, when we come to the question, how we judgement of things by what others say; we shall exhibit no pattern of a Christian are to preserve ourselves in a state of grace, shall admire what they admire; we shall spirit, nor shall we be in our own persons and gain the gift of perseverance in it, then instinctively reverence and make much of any argument for the truth of Christianity; a number of observances have claims upon the world’s opinion. We shall fear to give but I am trusting and supposing that our us, over and above those duties in which the scandal to the world. We shall have a secret view of Christianity is higher than to be substance of religion lies, as being its shrinking from the Church’s teaching. We satisfied with conduct so unlike that to safeguard and protection. And these same shall have an uneasy, uncomfortable feeling which our Saviour and his Apostles call us. observances, as being of a nature to catch when mention is made of the maxims of Speaking, then, to men who wish now to the eye of the world, become the badges of holy men and ascetical writers, not liking take that side and that place which they the Christian, as contrasted with other them, yet not daring to dissent. We shall be will have wished to have taken when their men; whereas faith, hope, and charity are scanty in supernatural acts, and have little Lord actually comes to them, I say, that we lodged deep in the breast, and are not seen. or nothing of the habits of virtue which are must not only have faith in him, but must Now, one of these characteristics of a formed by them, and are an armour of wait on him; not only must hope, but must Christian spirit, springing from the three proof against temptation. We shall suffer watch for him; not only love him, but must theological virtues, and then in turn our souls to be overrun with venial sins, long for him; not only obey him, but must defending and strengthening them, is that which tend to mortal sin, if they have not look out, look up earnestly for our reward, habit of waiting and watching, to which this already reached it. We shall feel very which is himself. season of the year especially invites us. reluctant to face the thought of death. If, indeed, we listen to the world, we shall All this shall we be, all this shall we do; I Our Advent series has been prepared by take another course. We shall think the and in consequence, it will be very difficult Stratford Caldecott, editor of Second Spring. temper of mind I am speaking of, to be for a spectator to say how we differ from The above is taken from Sermons Preached superfluous or enthusiastic. We shall aim at respectable, well-conducted men who are on Various Occasions, 1908.

If someone does transgress and cuts a tree Pope Benedict XVI has made many state- in it worthy of protection because it is a gift or even a dead branch for personal use, they ments on the need for the Catholic Church from God then it would send a message to would be presented to the church community to protect nature. On his recent visit to the the world that nature is not just for our use and scholars and asked to repent and be com- UK he mentioned it three times and in his but is to be cared for and revered as holy. As mitted not to repeat the mistake again. If they final address before boarding the plane he the UN report “Harmony with Nature” has fail to confess, or they make the same mistake pledged cooperation between the UK just been published, detailing a bleak outlook again, they would be alienated from the com- Government and the Holy See on environ- for so much of life on earth, this would be a munity and would not be entitled to services mental issues. We do not yet know how that welcome boost to an issue whose serious from the church. This sanction is known as relationship will developed and what can be importance is increasingly appreciated. Gizet. Although churches are primarily houses achieved, but perhaps this sector of the The Catholic Church has often been wary of God, they are also afforded legal protection Orthodox Church could provide inspiration of embracing a spiritual approach to the nat- by the state. Some larger churches are assigned and point a way forward. ural world, sometimes for fear of encouraging guards and anyone who encroaches on to It is obviously not possible to create forests paganism and nature worship, but also church land with cattle or crops, and anyone around all Catholic Churches, but a sense of because it is concerned about blurring the who acts as a poacher or illegal logger, is the sacred and respect for nature is not always distinction between nature and the special brought before the civil courts. evident; there is a far more utilitarian place of people in the eyes of God; but as These sanctions have worked well for many approach to the natural world in the West. Ethiopia shows, that is not necessarily the years but as pressures increase in this ravaged Land, however small, around a church could result of a more spiritual approach. What country, encroachment from the surrounding be made into a welcoming haven for urban happens when nature is considered sacred is fields is causing increasing concern and ways wildlife and act as a witness to the wider com- that it gives back, in ways that benefit all of are being sought to raise the level of protection. munity. So often Catholic church gardens and humanity, resources, spiritual succour and The scientific findings that Ozanne and col- borders look barren and denuded. aesthetic pleasure, all sorely needed in an leagues are collating now will provide concrete In 2007 the Vatican accepted the gift of a increasingly urbanised and functional world. evidence of the richness of the invertebrate potential forest from a carbon offset company The sacred forests of Ethiopia are a stark life of these forests (invertebrates are the to be planted on degraded land in Hungary reminder of the extent to which people will bedrock of all other life) and help increase to account for the Vatican’s carbon emissions. go to convert rich forest into desert if left awareness of the importance of the forests to The forest is being carefully sized on the level unchecked. As the population of the world the ecology of Ethiopia. Vegetation surveys of emissions from the Holy See in 2007. This continues to increase we will need more, not that have already been carried out show that is often highlighted as a prime example of the less, biodiversity to provide us with what we the forests house a large proportion of the Catholic Church’s intent to be green, and so need to survive, both physically and spiritu- endangered plant species of the area and pro- it is as far as carbon offsetting is concerned. ally. vide ecosystem services to local people, such However, the image portrayed is one of cal- as fresh water, pollinators (which are essential culation and mathematical equations, not I Mary Colwell advises the Catholic Bishops’ for the surrounding crops), honey, shade, and reverence and respect. If the Vatican also Conference of England and Wales on spiritual value. declared the forest to be sacred and the life environmental matters.

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